Jim Parsons Leads Roundabout's MERTON OF THE MOVIES Benefit Reading Tonight

Roundabout Theatre Company welcomes four-time Emmy Award and Golden Globe winner Jim Parsons ("The Big Bang Theory," Roundabout's Harvey) and Tony Award winner and four-time Emmy Award nominee Jane Krakowski ("30 Rock," Roundabout's Nine) in tonight's reading of George S. Kaufman and Marc Connelly's hilarious Merton of the Movies.

This rollicking evening will be helmed by Roundabout's Adams Associate Artistic Director, six-time Tony nominee Scott Ellis (Roundabout's Harvey, The Mystery of Edwin Drood), currently represented on Broadway with The Elephant Man and You Can't Take It With You. Final casting to be announced.

The cast of Merton of the Movies also includes: Brooks Ashmanskas (Jeff Baird), Tracee Chimo (Tessie Kearns), John Cullum (Amos G. Gashwiler), Daniel Davis (J. Lester Montague), Randy Graff (Casting Director), Matt Harrington (Stage Directions), Mark Hartman (Pianist), Richard Kind (Sigmund Rosenblatt), Nick Mills (His Cameraman), Rory O'Malley (Elmer Huff), Debra Jo Rupp (Mrs. Patterson), Peter Scolari (Weller), David Turner (Harold Parmalee) and Douglas Waterbury-Tieman (Max The Violinist).

The reading will take place tonight, December 1 at 7:00PM at Studio 54 (254 West 54th Street). Each year, Roundabout produces a star-studded benefit reading to support its many programs. Past readings have included Intimate Apparel, Assassins, She Loves Me and A Little Night Music.

It's the golden era of silent motion pictures, and no one loves them more than Merton Gill (Parsons), a naïve store clerk from a small town in Illinois. After taking an acting class-and determined to become a great dramatic actor-Merton uses his life's savings to head to Hollywood. There's only one problem: he can't act. When a plucky young starlet and a manipulative movie executive see how inadvertently funny Merton's earnest efforts are, they cast him in a comedy (that they tell him is a drama) and hilarity ensues!

Premium, VIP and Benefactor tickets at $500 to $2,500 with all proceeds to benefit not-for-profit Roundabout Theatre Company and its many programs are available by calling 212-719-9393 x369. VIP and Benefactor levels include an invitation to the exclusive post-show cast party. $75, f$100, $150 and $250 tickets are available online at roundabouttheatre.org/merton or by calling 212-719-1300.